The Bitter March of Time
by patrickthenobleman
Summary: Zero Requiem is done and as Lelouch's eyes close on Nunnally they open again on...Euphemia. Arriving mysteriously seconds before his fatal command Lelouch changes history and seeks out to make a new future. However he is followed from the Post-Requiem world by a powerful new foe who brings with him a threat to both the past and the future. KallenxLelouch, SuzakuxEuphemia.
1. Requiem Ended, Massacre Avoided

**The Bitter March of Time: A ****_Code Geass _****fan fiction.**

**I own nothing in any way shape or from.**

**Chapter One: Requiem Ended, Massacre Avoided.**

Lelouch Vi Britannia listened as the crowd cried out the name of Zero, his finest creation. He listened as Suzaku Kururugi, his best friend cried under the mask. He listened as Nunnally, his beloved sister begged him to come back to him. He listened as Kallen Kozuki, the woman whom he would have taken as his queen hushed struggled not to cry. These were some of the people he loved most in the world, some the people he had harmed the most.  
"I…destroyed worlds…to create worlds," he whispered with the final breath of life leaving him. _'But would destroy this world if only I could make it better.'_  
His eyes closed for the last time never to open again.

Lelouch's eyes opened suddenly, defying the physical law of death, and instead of beholding the enslaved Nunnally in the shine of a new day, he beheld the living Euphemia in a darkened room.  
_'What the hell?'_ he thought gripping his mouth to prevent speech.  
"Is something wrong Lelouch?" she asked her eyes pleading with the desire to help that only an angel could possess.  
_'It's like she's not under my Geass,'_ Lelouch thought recalling how the massacre happened. _'Wait, my Geass, it must be active by now. If this is some dream or if this is some strange reality then…then for Euphie's sake I can't let things be as they were before. Think Lelouch, think of something better to say. Something that won't cause so much pain and suffering. Euphie deserves better than to be remembered as Princess Massacre and I can't bring her, bring Cornelia, or Suzaku more pain.'_  
"I command you to…sneeze whenever someone says the word, 'pepper'," said Lelouch at the exact moment his Geass became permanently active.  
Euphie's irises became encircled with red and upon hearing the command phrase she sneezed.  
"Oh," she said not remembering why she sneezed. "Excuse me. I don't know why that happened. I hope I'm not getting sick."  
Lelouch, his eyes filled with tears of joy and relief, wrapped Euphemia in a tight hug as if he were a boa constrictor.  
"Thank god," Lelouch cried. "I'm finally dead."

The immortal V.V watched the behavior of the Collective Unconscious of C's World act strange and violently.  
"This is unusual," he mused.  
His monitoring of the Collective had never shown such violent behavior. He wondered if 'God' was reacting to his and Charles's plan with the Thought Elevator. He had expected that there would be some form of reaction but nothing such as this. It was powerful, thunderous, and it struck the fear of death into the immortal. He wondered if he should retreat to the safety of reality before he noticed strange shapes coming through the Collective.  
"Something is coming," said V.V.

The Special Administrative Zone of Japan had successfully been opened and Zero seemed to have disappeared from everyone's view. Lelouch had recovered from his emotional breakdown at Euphemia's feet, carefully avoiding her when she asked why he had praised his possible death and put on the mask of Zero once more, finding it familiar and at the same time alien after handing it over to Suzaku, and assured the Japanese people their freedom was theirs once more. He had ordered the Black Knights to monitor the peace under Ohgi and Tohdoh's command saying he needed to do go undercover for an unknown amount of time to investigate a possible new threat. In reality Lelouch needed to get away and discover if the world he now found himself in was real or not. Real or not Lelouch decided to leave his Black Knights with gifts in the form of substantial financial settlements and other surprises to thank them for everything they had done for him and as a form of apology for what he had done to them in the future. Although he knew he would have to do more than offer mere money to make up his many crimes against them and swore he would do what he should have done before. Treat them with honesty and respect and that meant revealing his identity to them. He swore that would be one of the first things he would do if he was able to find concrete proof that he was not living some sort of dream or delusion. They were of course other things on his list of priorities.  
He would come clean to Suzaku, reveal his identity to his best friend and show his support for his and Euphemia's relationship, and promise to do whatever it took to make up for his crimes against the two of them although he would probably keep the events of the future to himself for fear of being called mad.  
He would tell Nunnally about his double life and find Jeremiah, tell him about his mother, and have him use his Geass Canceller to free Nunnally's eyes from their father's curse.  
Then he would do one of the hardest tasks he believed he would ever have to undertake. He would reveal his identity and his feelings to Kallen Kozuki, although she loved Zero at this point in time and not Lelouch. She had learned to love Lelouch as himself once and he would do whatever it took to earn her love again but this time as himself and not as a masked vigilante. He would offer whatever he could to her and beg her to become his wife and his queen for he still had his father to contend with and he would rule Britannia right this time around. He would make it better for the sake of all those he loved and become the hero Britannia, Japan, and the World needed and retire Zero forever.  
"Big brother what are you still doing up?" asked Nunnally sweetly.  
Lelouch looked up seeing Sayoko and Nunnally enter the study. It was not easy for Lelouch to see Nunnally blind again but it was easier than seeing her in chains.  
It was late at night; Lelouch had done nothing but research on the events of the world and was slowly becoming convinced that he was not living in a dream.  
"I'm just doing a little work for this job I've taken Nunnally," Lelouch said, lying.  
"Oh, what kind of job have you taken?" she asked.  
"It's a surprise," said Lelouch. "But I'll tell you what it involves. It's political, it's military, and if fate is kind it will involve me being married to the woman I love."  
Nunnally gasped and smiled at the thought of her big brother being married.  
"You love someone?" she asked. "Who is it brother?"  
"If I tell you will you promise not to tell anyone?" asked Lelouch. "Especially not Milly?"  
"I promise," said Nunnally holding out her pinky finger.  
Lelouch wrapped his pinky around hers.  
"I want to marry Kallen," said Lelouch.  
"Kallen?" Nunnally gasped. "Does she know you love her? Does she love you?"  
"I'm going to let her know and earn her love," said Lelouch. "After that you'll have a new sister to play with along with Euphie and Cornelia. And another brother maybe."  
"Another brother?" asked Nunnally. "What do you mean?"  
"I'm going to make sure that Suzaku and Euphie get married," said Lelouch honestly.  
Nunnally gasped yet again surprised by all the sudden news of Lelouch's plans.  
"Suzaku and Euphie, Lelouch you can't force them to get married," said Nunnally.  
"I'm not, I'm going to make that idiot Suzaku realize that he is so madly in love with Euphie he'll have no choice but to propose to her," said Lelouch. "And before you know it you'll have a brand new brother and sister and perhaps later on a few nieces and nephews."  
Nunnally blushed and giggled with delight.  
"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself Lelouch?" asked Nunnally.  
"Come on wouldn't you love having little chubby cheeked babies coming up to you calling you, 'Auntie Nunna'?" asked Lelouch.  
Nunnally giggled and Sayoko couldn't help but chuckle either and Lelouch laughed too.  
"Why don't you two go back to bed I won't be up much longer," said Lelouch.  
"Alright big brother," said Nunnally.  
"Yes master Lelouch," said Sayoko.  
The ninja wheeled the future empress out of the room and Lelouch shut down his computer. He reclined back in the chair thinking about recent events and the mystery of how he somehow traveled back in time.  
"So how was the future?" asked a familiar voice.  
Lelouch tensed up before remembering C.C lived with him. He turned around and saw her standing in the shadows holding her beloved Cheese-kun doll tight to her body.  
"So, I have traveled back in time," said Lelouch. "How is this possible? Does it have something to do with C's World?"  
"So you learn about C's World in the future?" asked C.C.  
"You don't know about what happened?" asked Lelouch.  
"What happened?" asked C.C her face blank.  
"My mother and father were destroyed and you, Suzaku, and I saved 'God' from being destroyed," said Lelouch. "You also lost your memory for a while and thought you were a slave like when you were younger."  
"So…you saw my hall of memories," said C.C.  
Lelouch could have sworn she sounded almost ashamed and Lelouch realized that she had no memories of the future.  
"I…yes I did," said Lelouch. "I also know that…that my mother is in the body of Anya Alstream and what she, my father, and V.V are planning. But now I can stop it even quicker now that the massacre hasn't happened. Once I convince Suzaku, Cornelia, and the Black Knights about their plans we can unite to stop them and build a better future."  
"I take it you were unsatisfied with the previous future?" asked C.C.  
"I created the gentler world I wanted for Nunnally but…I can do better now," said Lelouch. "I can save Euphie and Shirley and…"  
"You may have trouble with that," said C.C.  
"Excuse me?" asked Lelouch.  
"Time travel is a tricky thing Lelouch," said C.C. "To alter destiny has consequences and where there was death there will always be death. Even if Euphemia and Shirley do not die, even if those people who died in that massacre do not die, someone will have to die in their place so there is balance."  
"I thought the only time travel an immortal like you was forward," said Lelouch.  
"Do not mock me on this Lelouch," said C.C. "C's World is more than what it seems. It is the ocean of time and space and don't be surprised if your actions in that future have an effect in this current timeline."  
"What do you mean? That future is already changing," said Lelouch. "Everything that happened then should be erased by now."  
"Exactly and someone there is bound to be pissed off by that," said C.C.  
Lelouch chuckled at C.C's words.  
"Now C.C you make it sound like someone from a future that no longer exists is going to attack me here in the past," said Lelouch.  
"Don't be surprised if that's exactly what happens," said C.C. "And do not say I did not warn you."  
Lelouch merely smirked and rose from his seat.  
"Goodnight C.C," said Lelouch.  
"Arrogant bastard," C.C muttered.  
Lelouch heard her but didn't respond. He needed to dress for a special occasion.

Kallen slept in her bed, half naked save for her panties, and slept easier than she had in a long time. Her brother's dream was coming true and her people were going to be free again. She also had worried dreams about Zero off on some dangerous undercover mission. She worried because she was his bodyguard and was denied the right to accompany him but also because she had fallen in love with the masked rogue. She had become like so many of those silly damsels in distress from her childhood books. The kind who were tied to posts and imprisoned by pirates and dragons and were saved by the strange mystery men holding mystical swords and riding beautiful steeds. She dreamed those foolish, girly dreams, and imagined herself on Zero's white steed with his purple sword held high in the air.  
She was so enraptured in that dream she failed to hear the sound of her window being opened or the sounds of feet against her floor.  
However she did feel the gentle strokes of a gloved hand across her cheek and leapt upright and to her shock, awe, and embarrassment the masked hero Zero stood before her. Kallen wrapped her blanket around her breasts to keep her modesty.  
"Z…Zero? What are you doing here?" she asked watching her volume.  
"I've come to whisk you away into the night," said Zero.  
"What…what are you talking about?" asked Kallen. "What about your mission? You said you were going under…cover?"  
Kallen blushed and gripped her blankets tighter.  
"I would only accept your virginity if you chose to give it to me Kallen," said Zero. "Never would I take it or harm you for it. I wish only to take you out into the evening and show you how much you mean to me Q-1."  
"What?" asked Kallen.  
"In chess the queen is addressed as Q-1," said Zero. "You are my queen Kallen and I wish to treat you like one. Will you please allow me to do so?"  
Zero reached out his hand to Kallen and although she was nervous, eager, and unsure she eventually smiled and let the tears of her dream come true flow through and took the hand of the mystery man she had fallen in love with.

Euphemia Li Britannia had been working over a mountain of paperwork all night and had fallen asleep at her desk. Her knight and the man she had ordered to love her brushed loose strands of pink hair out of her beautiful face and then picked her up in his arms bridal style and walked to her room in the Viceroy palace. He placed her gently on her bed and fluffed her pillows for her. He took her shoes off and finally pulled the blanket over her sleeping form. He did the opposite of the prince in Sleeping Beauty one might say and dared not kiss the princess whom he loved. In his heart he believed she would never truly love him, especially if she knew he had done such a terrible thing as patricide. He would do whatever it took to die if she ever saw him as a monster and resented him for it. The hatred of a friend he could hardly take, the hatred of strangers he could bear, but the hatred of Euphemia would completely destroy him.  
He pushed such thoughts out of his mind when he heard her gentle mumbling in her sleep and smiled down at her. She had done what he wanted to do. She had created a way to free Japan within the system. Perhaps that was why Zero vanished, he wondered, out of shame that his methods had fallen short. Suzaku tried not to judge, whoever he was Zero was probably only doing what he thought was right and if his true goal was Japan's freedom then as long as that was met where was there room for personal ego. No matter the reason Suzaku was glad he was gone. The image of the masked brought up feelings of anger and hatred within Suzaku and he did not want to think of such things in Euphemia's presence. He left her room but not before placing a gentle, chaste kiss upon her forehead, and hoped Cornelia had not seen him otherwise he would be missing the body beneath his neck.  
Once outside Euphie's room Suzaku's thoughts returned to Zero. He wondered what Zero was up to and hoped none of his friends would suffer because of the masked vigilante's actions. He had not seen his friends at Ashford Academy ever since the SAZ had been organized and he was worried about Lelouch whom Rivalz had said was absent more than usual the last time Suzaku called him.  
_'Could Zero have taken Lelouch hostage?'_ Suzaku thought. _'If that's the case I will do whatever it takes to save my friend and if he is hurt I will show no mercy.'_

V.V tried to speak, tried to focus his vision through bloodied eyes, and tried to rationalize what had happened. He had been blown back into reality by a violent force unlike anything he had ever seen before. The Geass Order had then come under attack in a siege that seemed almost like a blitz and now he was being chocked by the leader of the attack. He felt his code slip away into this man, this man who possessed a Geass that allowed any defense the Order tried to put up be made worthless, and felt death's cold fingers wrap around his frightened soul.  
"W…who…"  
"The future," said the man answering V.V's incomplete question to his identity. "I am the future and the future is me."  
V.V's Code now his, the man who proclaimed himself the future, broke the immortal's neck.

Ohgi had been in an absolute fit of euphoria since he SAZ had come into operation. Japanese people were flocking into the SAZ just to be Japanese again. He hoped his old departed friend Naoto was watching happily from some far distant paradise, his dream finally coming true, and his sister being able to be herself again.  
His attention was brought back to earth when he beheld Chigusa's nude body lying next to him. He smiled and snuggled close to her. He hoped her memory would come back soon so they could truly share in each aspect of each other's lives and perhaps one day get married.  
He hoped Zero would attend; he'd be more than welcomed, whenever he returned from his undercover mission.

Cornelia Li Britannia had been stressed greatly in the recent days. Her sister had defied her, the empire, and the policies of their family and Cornelia strangely found herself proud of her little sister. She was gentle and naïve but Euphemia had courage that Cornelia could not help but respect. However she could not approve of how Euphemia cared about her knight Suzaku Kururugi, an Honorary Britannian, an Eleven, and wished Euphie had been wiser in her choice. If only it had been a Britannian boy instead of Kururugi. Someone like her knight Guilford whom she had feelings for but would never bring herself to confess her true affections for him lest she lose his respect for her as well as face rejection. The Witch of Britannia sighed and took a long sip of her champagne as she reclined in her bathtub with her nose being tickled by the bubbles and her toes at the faucet. This Special Administrative Zone of Japan could have ended in a horrible disaster and she believed that eventually it would and she feared Euphemia would suffer the most for it. The emotional toll would either driver her into depression or even into suicide or worse her own government might order her execution on some ridiculous ground of treason. Cornelia didn't know if she would survive losing Euphie to anyone.  
She shook such thoughts out of her head and tried to enjoy her bath.  
_'Euphie is alive,'_ she thought. _'If only my other dear siblings were too.'_  
Cornelia thought about her long dead half-siblings Lelouch and Nunnally, dead on the very land she ruled over, the land Clovis ruled over. Their loss was so devastating to her and to Clovis as well they probably took out their grief and rage out on the Elevens. Clovis was lost to her as well. Lost to Zero, whom she began to suspect had some connection to Lelouch and Nunnally. For all she knew he had killed Lelouch personally and raped and murdered Nunnally in cold blood.  
Cornelia poured another glass of drink and quickly gulped it down trying to erase her bitter thoughts with the bubbly drink as she sunk lower into the bubbly bath.

Charles Zi Britannia was lying in a pool of his own blood. The man who had murdered him showed up with his older brother V.V's head in his hands. The man was fast and strong, far more powerful than any mere mortal should have been. But the most shocking fact about the man was when he attempted to use his Geass and alter the man's memory nothing had happened. The man merely continued beating Charles to death with his bare hands. The guards who came to protect the emperor were themselves quickly slain.  
"Who…what are you?" Charles chocked.  
"As I told your brother," said the man with his deep voice as cool as steel, "I am the future and the future is me. This is only natural I do this to you, you who wishes for the past to return. The past only naturally gives way to the future."

Kallen had dressed in a pink blouse and blue sweater and kept her hair down from its usual spiky look. She followed Zero quietly out of her house and off the grounds of the Stadfeld manor. He opened the door to the car he had stolen and hidden out of site. He asked her to bring her trademark red headband and used it to blindfold her eyes saying he did not want her to see the entrance to his 'secret lair' just yet. Kallen stayed quiet during the ride and quiet during the long walk into what she imagined to be Zero's hidden fortress. Eventually she could no longer find it in herself to remain quiet and needed to ask the burning questions of her love struck heart.  
"Zero, why are you doing this now?" she asked.  
"Because I've discovered what is truly important in life," said Zero. "I have discovered that freedom and life itself is meaningless when one is alone. I call myself Zero but yet I have always been one. I've always been alone."  
Zero removed Kallen's blindfold and she found herself in some underground room made plain and almost sterile except for the elegantly set table where a dinner sat beneath silver trays lit by candles.  
"Is…is all of this really for me Zero?" asked Kallen.  
"It is," said the masked avenger. "Because I am madly in love with you Kallen and I will show you now and lay myself bare and defenseless to your rejection or cautiously hopeful for you acceptance."  
Kallen watched as her leader knelt down on bent knee and pressed for his mask to release. Kallen's eyes widened as Zero removed his helmet. At first they were wide with awe but upon seeing who was under the now discarded mask her eyes were widened with shock.  
"L…Lelouch?" she gasped covering her mouth with her hands as if trying to keep the word from escaping.  
Lelouch looked up to her his eyes full of weariness, worry, longing, and love.  
"Yes," said Lelouch. "I am Zero. I am Lelouch. I am in love with Kallen Kozuki."

He could feel the life of the city flow through him. He could see every light of every building and car sparkle like the sun on the ocean. He looked out and glared over the newly established Special Administrative Zone of Japan with contempt. It was a dream that was never meant to come true and now it had. He looked over at the Viceroy Palace with no less contempt. The two ladies of the house were supposed to have been dead and missing respectively by now.  
Errors, they were only errors he would have to correct. However there were obstacles in his way but he believed they could easily be removed. Things would be as they were if not better.  
He thought for a moment about the possibility of better when he thought back to his past.  
"Yes," he said to himself more than anyone else. "I believe it could be better."  
All really concerned him were the obstacles and one that could prove potentially more disastrous than the others. He watched the clock, recalling the very concept of time, and mentally reviewed his plan for tomorrow.

Lelouch felt the sting of Kallen's fists and although his body registered the pain his mind could only register pleasure that he was able to feel her flesh against his again even if she was trying to beat him to death. During those months he had been forced to imprison her for his plans to work he constantly wrestled with the idea of going to her just to look into her eyes one last time knowing that they would be filled with hate and disappointment and would look just to feel what it was like in her presence again. If he did not have such respect for her as a woman or had any kind of physical strength, he perhaps would have made the hypothetical visit a conjugal one, an unwilling conjugal visit, and would at least not have died a virgin but would have died a rapist and that was one title Lelouch would never have wanted even if he did wish to become the most terrible villain in human history second only to the Antichrist himself.  
"Liar," Kallen yelled with tears in her eyes as she continued to beat Lelouch to the ground.  
_'Goddess,'_ Lelouch thought as his lips met with the concrete of the floor instead of Kallen's flower soft lips as he so wanted to meet.  
"You used us," she yelled. "You lied to us, you used us, and you used ME."  
She continued to beat him with her fists crying miserably. Lelouch's heart broke with hers and his kingly attitude demanded something be done. He had grown tired of her tears and of her sadness and wanted more than anything to see her smile, to run his fingers over her smooth skin, and to drink deep from her wine-like lips.  
Kallen eventually stopped beating him and fled just like she did before in the previous time line only without Suzaku holding a gun at Lelouch's head which was a great improvement for the displaced black king. He knew she didn't know where she was but he also knew Kallen was highly adaptable and she would soon find her way to the grounds of Ashford Academy. He wondered what she would do now that she knew of his identity and decided he would worry about that later. Now that there was a later thanks to the fact he wasn't being Geassed by his father.  
"That went well," said C.C's voice from the table.  
"Actually it went better than I hoped," said Lelouch painfully getting to his feet. "Get out of Kallen's chair."  
"She's doesn't seem to have plans to use it," said C.C. "Don't go treating everything Kallen touches or was meant to have touch as some sort of holy object. It's creepy."  
"Kallen is a benevolent goddess of freedom, justice, and peace," said Lelouch. "Everything about her is holy to me and I will cross hell itself on my belly if it would please her."  
"My word whatever the Kallen of that other time line did must have been big to earn such blind and almost psychotic love and devotion from you," said C.C plainly.  
"She saved me from my enemies, depression, drugs, and my own darkness and now I seem to have been given a chance to fulfill a promise I made to her in that other future," said Lelouch.  
"And what promise was that?" asked C.C.  
"We promised each other that we would return to Ashford Academy together and by some strange and undeserved miracle I have been granted the ability to fulfill that wish and do more perhaps," said Lelouch. "I can now make a future even better than the future I gave the people of that other time. Suzaku will not become the cold figure he was and Euphemia will marry him. They will have a life together and Shirley will survive."  
"Speaking of Shirley what are you going to do about her seeing as not only does she not have her memories of you but still seems to be madly in love with you?" asked C.C.  
Lelouch froze for a moment in thought. He remembered the horrible day when Shirley had died and what he had done after. She was a great love in his life but it was Kallen whom he had chosen as his queen and would be wife. He did not want to hurt Shirley anymore and even if her memories were restored she would be in pain over Lelouch's choice to love Kallen and not her.  
"I…I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," said Lelouch. "Now will you please get me something for my bruises?"  
"You mean all of Kallen's love taps?" giggled C.C.  
"Just go," moaned Lelouch.

The next morning found Suzaku finally returning to school after so long working with Euphemia on the SAZ. He received a few questions about why he was returning there instead of living in the zone but in all honesty he didn't want to be separate from his friends. They had become his family and he childishly didn't want to be separate from them. Milly, Nina, Shirley, and even Kallen were almost like sisters to him with Rivalz as the younger brother he never had and Lelouch as an older brother and of course Nunnally was like another sister as well.  
He thought about Kallen for a moment, having now considered her a sister, and wondered if she would retire from the Black Knights after the SAZ had been developed. Her goals were the freedom of Japan and he could not condemn her for wanting what he wanted even if her goals were not ideal in his viewpoint. He genuinely hoped she would find peace.  
He also thought about Lelouch hoping he would be there and would be alright.  
He came up to the clubhouse and opened up to see all of his friends alive and with streamers and noisemakers yelling, 'surprise'.  
Suzaku laughed happily and didn't notice the raven haired young man walk up to him with a party hat. Lelouch put the hat on Suzaku's head and his hand on his shoulder. Suzaku caught a glance at Lelouch and his face fell slightly when he saw the deep well of emotion in Lelouch's eyes. He had never seen such feelings in Lelouch's eyes before. He was about to ask Lelouch what was bothering him when Rivalz clasped Suzaku's shoulders and thus forced his attention upon him and the rest of the Student Council.  
"It's great to have you back buddy," said Rivalz.  
"Yeah we thought you'd be leaving to move into the Special Administrative Zone," said Shirley.  
"I could never leave you guys," said Suzaku. "My life would be a lot less fun without you."  
"That's nice to say," said Milly. "Because I am throwing you and Lelouch, who still refuses to tell us where he's been, a big welcome back party and if either of you don't come, with dates I might add, I'll just have to punish you both for it."  
Suzaku blushed at the mention of dates and wondered how much hell Lelouch would go through with all of the girls who wanted him. He suddenly noticed Lelouch standing near Kallen who sat on the couch with tired and angry eyes and refused to even acknowledge that Lelouch was standing close to her.  
He watched as Kallen angrily stormed off and left Lelouch looking uncharacteristically dejected. Lelouch noticed Suzaku watching him and gave him their secret signal to meet him on the roof as soon as he could.

In about half an hour Lelouch met Suzaku on the roof of the clubhouse and the Japanese boy was curious about a small box Lelouch was holding in his hand.  
"Hey, I'm glad you're alright Rivalz told me that you haven't been in school for a while and I was worried about you and Nunnally," said Suzaku, ignoring the box for now.  
"I'm fine," said Lelouch. "Nunnally's alright too. Why, what did you think had happened?"  
"I don't know," said Suzaku. "It's just that with all that's changing I was worried someone might have found out about you and Nunnally."  
"I thought as Euphemia's personal knight she was the only one of the royal family you would have to concern yourself about," said Lelouch with his usual smirk.  
"Just because I'm Euphie's knight doesn't mean I stopped being your friend Lelouch," said Suzaku with a slight blush over the subject of Euphie coming up.  
"Ever thought about being more than Euphie's knight?" asked Lelouch.  
Suzaku was stumped by Lelouch's question and Lelouch saw his opportunity. He tossed the small box over to Suzaku who caught it and opened it finding a solid gold ring with a large princess cut diamond and a note reading: _Suzaku and Euphemia forever._  
"Lelouch," Suzaku yelled with a blush as bright and as red as the sun. "What the hell is this?"  
"That is the ring you're going to propose to Euphemia with," said Lelouch nonchalantly.  
"Lelouch, are you crazy? I can't even think about marrying Euphemia," yelled Suzaku.  
"Are you saying there's something wrong with my little half-sister?" Lelouch said feigning irritability.  
"What? No, no, I didn't mean it like that," said Suzaku. "Euphie is…she's beautiful but she's also…she's kind, gentle, smart, funny, and…and I am hopelessly in love with her Lelouch."  
"Then you're welcome for the ring," said Lelouch. "I expect to be the best man of course."  
"Lelouch…I can't marry Euphie," said Suzaku sadly. "I'm just her knight and even worse I am Japanese."  
"Does Euphie love you back?" asked Lelouch.  
Suzaku's inane babbling and crimson blush answered for him.  
"You love her and she loves you Suzaku," said Lelouch. "She's accomplished the two greatest goals you could never have hoped to do alone and she would only continue to make your dreams come true if you only had the courage to make hers come true."  
"Well I…wait what two goals are you talking about?" asked Suzaku.  
"She has freed Japan without breaking the law and she has defeated Zero," said Lelouch.  
"Euphie…defeated Zero?" asked Suzaku.  
"Yes Suzaku, Euphemia Li Britannia has defeated me," said Lelouch.  
Suzaku's spinning mind was suddenly frozen and he looked at his childhood friend with widened eyes of terror.  
"Lelouch…please tell me you're lying," he said with tears forming in his eyes.  
"No Suzaku," said Lelouch. "I am Zero and I intend to help Euphie in her work to liberate Japan."  
Suzaku could only hear Lelouch say, 'I am Zero' and everything else became like white noise.  
"You…you murdered your own brother Clovis," said Suzaku.  
"I had to," said Lelouch. "Clovis had murdered innocent people Suzaku. Your people and there was no court in Britannia or anywhere else in the world that would have tried him so I had no choice but to take justice into my own hands and kill Clovis myself. He lived like a prince but in the end he died like a criminal."  
"In my eyes you are the criminal Lelouch," Suzaku yelled grabbing Lelouch by the collar of his shirt. "Why? Why would you do those horrible things? Why would you reveal yourself now knowing that I would have no choice but to arrest you? Why Lelouch? Why would you risk putting Nunnally through the hell of knowing that her brother had been arrested and would be executed by her own government and family? Why would you do any of it Lelouch?"  
"Because no one else would," said Lelouch. "As the saying goes, 'the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,' and although I agree with you that I am not a good man that doesn't mean I can't make sure good men stand up and they have. They have on both sides of the fight Suzaku. Euphie knows my secret."  
Suzaku felt his heart ache as if he had been run though with a saber. Euphemia had known the identity of his enemy, her sister's enemy, and her nation's enemy and not told anyone.  
"Talk to Euphie," said Lelouch. "Tell her how you feel about her and if you want to try and spoil the moment tell her about me and how I confessed to you a knight of Britannia that I am a terrorist. Let her decide what to do. Give this woman who has captured your heart everything that would give her dominance over you and let her do whatever she wishes and do whatever it takes to make yourself worthy of her."  
Suzaku noted the tone in Lelouch's voice had changed and that his purple eyes were not on the man who was now contemplating arresting him. Suzaku followed Lelouch's gaze and saw Kallen standing on the grounds with her blue eyes staring widely up at the two of them. Suzaku could not understand the look on Kallen's face and equally did not understand Lelouch's soft gaze which he held for Kallen.  
"You…you love Kallen?" asked Suzaku.  
"With all my black heart," said Lelouch. "I have told her recently that I am Zero and I will await her judgment. I will wait until she decides to talk about whatever feelings there are between us or until she attempts to kill me. She could tell the Black Knights who I am and I would accept their judgment as well. I would also accept the judgment of my sister Cornelia and I await your judgment now Suzaku."  
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Suzaku. "You're just throwing yourself on what I decide to do or not do? Why the hell would you do that?"  
"Because you are my best friend and one of the few people I would trust with my life and the lives of those I love," said Lelouch. "You are one of those people I love the most Suzaku. My brighter reflection and my brother in soul. Do what you will Suzaku and do it with my blessing and my trust."  
Suzaku looked into Lelouch's eyes and saw the most horrifying thing he could ever find in Lelouch's soul. Complete honesty and absolute trust.  
Suzaku let go of Lelouch's shirt and walked away without another word leaving Lelouch standing alone. Lelouch watched sadly as Suzaku walked away from him and then looked back down at Kallen. They stood as an opposite Romeo and Juliet with no sweet prose passing between them. Eventually Kallen turned and walked away with a sad expression upon her brow and Lelouch felt his heart break a little.  
_'I am not good at being honest,'_ thought Lelouch.  
He felt tears slowly fall from his eyes as he also felt the pain in his heart. This emotional heart pain however was immediately replaced with a physical pain. He heard a clap behind him on the ground after the pain struck. Suzaku heard it as well and turned to see a nightmare come alive. Lelouch clutched his chest and felt blood seep through his fingers. The pain felt familiar, the memory of being stabbed still very fresh in his mind and his body, and probably hid the bullet. The world began to spin around him for a second time. He felt himself fall back and felt for sure that he would painfully strike the floor. Instead he felt himself being cradled gently in Suzaku's arms and saw his friend's shocked and frightened face. Suzaku seemed to say something but Lelouch could not hear him.

The shot had been fired perfectly. It was not a killing wound but it would keep Lelouch out of the way for a while. The man who had murdered the immortal V.V and the emperor Charles thus began to calmly disassemble his rifle, an antique in his mind, and began to dress accordingly for the next phase of his plan to come into fruition.  
Although it would have been more efficient for Lelouch to die rather than sooner get involved and perhaps become an interference there was a matter of honor and a twisted sense of brotherhood in the man's logic. They were both displaced from their original places in time and space and both were fighting onward for the future a better future than either of them had built and the man respected that and if Lelouch wished to fight him then he had earned that right and the man would simply have no choice but to squash him underfoot, history be damned, and set out building _his_ world anew.  
_'Ironic enough,'_ thought the man. _'You had once killed Charles, the man who made your future exist Lelouch and now I may be forced to kill you, the man who brought _my _future into existence. Oh the hilarity of fate. In the end is all a divine comedy for God to enjoy as we scamper and tumble about like the clowns that we are.'_  
The man thus ended his line of thought and readied himself for his important meeting. He looked at the watch he wore on his wrist and noted how he had made good time but he felt it would be best if he hurried to the transport he had secured for the occasion. It was not polite to keep royalty waiting.

Cornelia, Euphemia, Guilford and General Dalton along with the soldiers stood at attention. Earlier that morning an important message had come through that an officer under direct order from the Emperor himself would be coming to tend to important business in Area 11 and Cornelia was to put all her resources to the agent's disposal and tend to his every whim.  
As the ship carrying the agent came into view in the clear blue sky Cornelia turned to her sister and noticed the absence of her knight and the saddened look on her face.  
"Is something wrong Euphie?" asked Cornelia with genuine worry.  
"Suzaku…one of his friends was shot at school," Euphie said hiding the fact that it was Lelouch who was shot.  
She wondered if she should tell her sister about Lelouch and Nunnally being alive. But if Cornelia knew then she would explode in panic, rage, and fury and she feared Cornelia would take her rage out on the people of Japan, blaming them for trying to kill her brother.  
"I'm so sorry," Cornelia said sincerely. "Is Kururugi alright at least?"  
"He…he's fine," said Euphie. "I'm sorry Viceroy, I'll just…"  
"No," said Cornelia with a soft smile. "Why don't you go to you knight? I can handle this agent."  
Euphie smiled at Cornelia and gave her big sister a quick kiss on the cheek for gratitude and left with a group of soldiers as guards to go to Suzaku's side.  
Cornelia with a light smile as Euphemia went her way before she tossed aside the persona of the loving sister and became the fearless Goddess of Victory known throughout Britannia.  
The vehicle landed and a squadron of soldiers accompanied a sharply dressed man walk out of the vehicle and up to Cornelia. Cornelia took a quick study of the man who seemed a foot taller than her knight Guilford with his muscles well defined by his uniform. It was the uniform befitting a general. But more important to Cornelia than his clothes were his facial features. He was a Britannian man who seemed no older than thirty-seven with slicked oily-black hair and the coldest black eyes Cornelia had ever seen. His features were hard and without any warmth giving off an aura of shivering nervousness and inert ruthlessness. Cornelia could not put her finger on it but there was something uneasy about the man standing before her. She had never heard of him before in her entire career in both military and politics and that was not simply because of how alien his name sounded.  
"Welcome to Area 11 mister…I'm sorry but I have trouble pronouncing your name sir," said Cornelia.  
"It is quite alright Princess Cornelia," said the agent. "My name is…Nowwe. Pawclypsian Nowwe, agent of the crown of Britannia bearing urgent orders from the Emperor himself. I would very much like to get on with my mission now if that is alright with you Princess."  
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to rest first Agent Nowwe?" asked Sir Guilford.  
"No Sir Guilford," said Nowwe. "I am in pursuit of a high-class enemy of the empire. An enemy whom the Emperor fears will amass enough power to threaten our interests."  
"It's Zero isn't it?" asked Dalton.  
"Far worse and I believe only you Princess Cornelia may help me bring this criminal, this traitor to justice," said Nowwe. "Or else the entire empire and all her children will suffer."  
"My god this must be serious," said Cornelia. "Of course I'll help. Who is this criminal scum?"  
"The identity of our Empire's deadliest foe in centuries is…Euphemia Li Britannia," said Nowwe.

**Author's Note: There it is, the first chapter of ****_The Bitter March of Time_****. For those of you who know me I am somewhat reluctant to read time travel ****_Code Geass_**** fictions. Some of which are pretty damn good I'll admit and god damn it I had to do one too. However I'm doing it my way starting seconds before Euphie was accidentally Geassed and not from the beginning of R1 or R2 because it has been a long time since I've seen the series and am going a completely new direction with this new time line to show that it has changed into an alternate R. I'm also having another timer traveler other than Lelouch. For those of you who have read my profile the character Pawclypsian Nowwe is from forty years after the Zero Requiem and Lelouch's peace is replaced by Nowwe's regime which I will delve into later in the story.  
However ****_Redemption and Madness_**** is still my top priority and updates for this story will be slow at best and I will fluctuate between this and the other story and may even tie them together in some way.  
Anyway don't worry Lelouch will survive, I'll be explaining how Nowwe moves as fast as he does, and why Britannia isn't in an uproar about Charles being dead. Hope you're all at least interested enough to follow along because the next turn will deal with Cornelia's crisis of conscience and Lelouch, having survived, dealing with the arrival of Nowwe and the uncertain future he brings with him.  
Next turn: Then and Nowwe. **


	2. Then and Nowwe

**Chapter Two: Then and Nowwe**

Cornelia had sworn she had a heart attack when the mysterious agent Pawclypsian Nowwe flashed before her the arrest and execution warrant for her own little sister whom she has always striven to protect from any early harm. Now that harm was coming from the very empire she had sworn to uphold.  
"No…no this is a mistake," yelled Cornelia.  
"It is no mistake," said Pawclypsian Nowwe. "Do you know the location of this dangerous criminal?"  
"Dangerous criminal? Hardly, Princess Euphemia is anything but a threat to the empire," said Dalton. "If you want a criminal then you should be hunting down Zero and his Black Knights."  
"We have reason to believe that the criminal Euphemia knows Zero's identity," said Nowwe.  
Cornelia's heart broke once again as both Dalton and Guilford were shut silent.  
"We have added conspiring with a known terrorist to this villain's growing list of crimes," said Nowwe.  
"Don't you dare call Euphemia a villain," yelled Cornelia. "I demand to speak with the emperor about this."  
"The emperor expected this behavior of you Cornelia and told me that is you chose to act against his orders I am to issue this to General Dalton," said Nowwe.  
Nowwe passed a note to an already angry Dalton whose eyes widened in anger and horror.  
"What is it man?" yelled Guilford.  
" 'By order of the 98th emperor of Britannia Charles Zi Britannia, second princess Cornelia Li Britannia is hereby stripped of all titles, rank, and power and the services of Sir Gilbert G.P Guilford and General Andreas Dalton are to be rendered to operative Pawclypsian Nowwe in the arrest and execution of known traitor Euphemia Li Britannia. Any action against these orders will be considered an act of treason and subject to sharing the punishment of the traitor Euphemia,'" read Dalton.  
Guilford could not believe what he was hearing. In less than a few short minutes he had been ordered by the Emperor to completely abandon his beloved princess and render all of his services to this man who seemed to appear out of nowhere and help him execute Cornelia's beloved sister.  
Cornelia herself had lost almost all rational thought. She looked at the note and recognized the imperial seal of the Emperor of Britannia and was written in her father's hand.  
"But…but this is crazy," said Cornelia. "Euphemia does not know who Zero is and she is not a traitor. She would have told me the instant she found out about Zero's identity. He took our brother Clovis away from us and Euphemia would never allow such a villain to go free and she would never betray the empire."  
"She betrayed the empire when she constructed this so-called Special Administrative Zone of Japan," said Nowwe. "Britannia does not release that which she has so rightfully devoured. Though it is amazing we have even taken any new property with a bumbler like you in our proud military Cornelia. Your loss will be no great setback especially with our new methods of conquest. So either way competent or not you would have been made obsolete."  
Guilford nearly lost all control, hearing all the insults Nowwe delivered to his princess, and struck Nowwe across the cheek. The pain that struck Guilford's hand was the same as if he had struck a brick wall and as he clutched in pain Nowwe simply stood unfazed. The soldiers who attended Nowwe thus mobbed Guilford and held him down as the cuffed his hands.  
"Get off of him," yelled Cornelia drawing her sword. "By the order of…"  
"As General Dalton has just read you are in no position to give orders anymore and Sir Guilford's outburst suggests that he has chosen to follow the example of your traitorous sister and thus his fate is sealed," said Nowwe. "Sir Gilbert G.P Guilford you are hereby dishonorably discharged from duty and all honor and privilege of your family is hereby null and void. General Dalton, if you wish to continue your services to our glorious empire you will help my men place Guilford into a holding cell and then alert the soldiers to our mission."  
Dalton looked at Gilford being held down by Nowwe's men and also at Cornelia's shocked and uncharacteristically worried eyes. He had stood with the two of them through thick and thin throughout numerous crusades against the enemies of the empire. What would he do now that the empire he had long fought for had suddenly made them into the enemy?  
"I don't know you Pawclypsian Nowwe but I do know Guilford and Princess Euphemia and when the proper trial is organized the truth will be revealed," said Dalton.  
"There will be no trial," said Nowwe. "There will only be punishment towards our enemies and rewards to our loyal children. Will you obey my commands Dalton or will you stand with these traitors?"  
Dalton chuckled at Nowwe's question and the mysterious agent furrowed his brow.  
"Traitors? You are talking about one of Britannia's finest soldiers and a member of the royal family whom I happen to respect," said Dalton. "Now that I've voiced my opinion I'm sure you can tell exactly where I'm taking my stand."  
"Indeed I can," said Nowwe. "Very well, upon the capture of Euphemia the three of you will share in her fate."  
"Three?" asked Guilford from his place on the ground.  
Nowwe pointed his gun to Cornelia's head and cocked it.  
"Three," said Nowwe.

Suzaku had rushed Lelouch to the hospital as quickly as he possibly could. He called Euphie and told her about Lelouch getting shot but neglected to tell her about his knowledge of Lelouch's dual identity. He wondered why he didn't call the authorities about his most shocking discovery. It was his duty after all as a knight of Britannia and he had Zero, the empire's enemy bleeding in his arms, and he did the complete opposite of what was expected of him. He even refused to reveal Lelouch's true identity to the doctors. He wrote 'Lelouch Lamperouge' on the charts the doctors gave him.  
_'Why didn't I turn you in Lelouch?'_ Suzaku thought again as he looked at his friend's sleeping face.  
Lelouch's wound wasn't life threatening and the surgery didn't take long and he could awake soon but there was no real estimate for him.  
He recalled how horrible it felt to call Nunnally that her brother had been shot and how horrible it was to hear her cry on the other end of the phone. He wondered for a moment about Nunnally, what she would think of him if he had turned in Lelouch and he had been executed for his crimes. She would never forgive him for taking her brother away from her and he wondered if he'd even forgive himself. Lelouch was his best friend in childhood and now it appeared he was also his archenemy.  
"Lelouch," Suzaku said gently hoping his friend could hear him. "I haven't told anyone else. I want us to talk when…when you wake up. We can try and find an understanding."  
Suzaku heard the sound of approaching footsteps behind him and turned expecting to see Euphie and instead found Kallen standing in the doorway. The two aces looked at each other with distrusting eyes. Suzaku could still recall the shock he felt when he discovered Kallen was a Black Knight and not just because she was naked at the time.  
"I haven't told anyone," said Suzaku.  
"About what?" asked Kallen.  
"Hasn't he told you?" asked Suzaku.  
Kallen kept a hard face to hide any emotion or revelation that she knew anything.  
"I know Lelouch is…you know who," said Suzaku. "He told me right there on the roof before he got shot and I swear I had nothing to do with that."  
He could practically feel Kallen reaching for her knife and wanted to quickly defuse the situation.  
"There's no reason to keep fighting anymore," said Suzaku. "The SAZ is getting set up and Japan can be Japan again."  
Kallen remained silent in suspicion of Suzaku.  
"Lelouch also told me that…he loved you," said Suzaku.  
Kallen gasped and blushed remembering how Lelouch set her up for the night before and revealed his identity.  
"He's crazy," said Kallen averting her gaze from Suzaku and Lelouch.  
"Quite…possibly," said the weary voice of Lelouch.  
Kallen and Suzaku both turned to see him slowly opening his eyes slowly. He had half expected to wake up in yet another different time but was happily surprised to find himself in the new present.  
"I…may have been hasty the other night," said Lelouch directly to Kallen.  
Kallen didn't even respond or even look at Lelouch.  
"Kallen please, if we could just talk about the other night," said Lelouch.  
Kallen turned and left the room without so much as a single word to Lelouch and left an awkward silence between the knight and the black king.  
"Other night?" asked Suzaku.  
"I told invited her to dinner and pulled my mask off," said Lelouch. "Then she beat me up and now I'm in the dog house and apparently have nearly put down like a dog too."  
"You did here me when I said I had nothing to do with that right?" asked Suzaku.  
"Yeah, I also heard you said you wanted to talk," said Lelouch. "Believe me I'd want nothing more than a nice long talk that doesn't end up with either of us seriously wounded or in trouble."  
"Well I can't say we aren't in trouble but I can see your point," said Suzaku. "And it's at least nice to know that even though you're in the worst place imaginable for you, you still have the strength to be a wise ass."  
Lelouch laughed and Suzaku found himself laughing as well. It felt good for Lelouch to share this moment with Suzaku. At this time in the past history he was getting used to the false past Charles had delivered upon him while Suzaku was training to be a Knight of the Round.  
"Actually I've been in a lot worse situations than this Suzaku," said Lelouch. "A lot worse."  
"I really doubt that," said Suzaku. "I mean you just came out and said who you were to your worst enemy."  
"You're not my worst enemy Suzaku," said Lelouch. "If anything you're my best enemy."  
"You can stop being a wise ass now," said Suzaku.  
"You can stop being a tool now," said Lelouch.  
The two looked at each other with expressions of extreme annoyance for a solid two minutes before they started laughing for another two minutes.  
"God, why does it feel so good to laugh?" asked Suzaku.  
"Maybe because we both needed it so badly," said Lelouch.  
He felt a sharp pain in his chest for a moment but it soon passed and of course Suzaku had taken notice.  
"I'll find out who did it Lelouch," said Suzaku.  
"Why bother? When Cornelia finds out she'll probably try and finish the job," said Lelouch.  
"I only told Euphie about you," said Suzaku. "I…I've kept your secret."  
"Is everyone else alright?" asked Lelouch. "At the school was anyone else shot at?"  
"No and I think you were the only intended target," said Suzaku. "I got you out quietly so there would be a panic because I doubt you would have wanted the whole school surrounded by police. Do you have any idea who might want Lelouch Lamperouge dead?"  
"In whatever mask I'm wearing Suzaku there are always people who want me dead," said Lelouch. "What would you say if I told you that even you wished my death more than anything else?"  
"That's not funny Lelouch," yelled Suzaku.  
"That wasn't a joke," said Lelouch. "That's why I told you Suzaku. You were right in what you said to Kallen. There is no reason to keep fighting at least not each other. I'm going to help Euphie liberate Japan and once we've accomplished that…"  
"Once that's accomplished you put up the mask for good," said Suzaku. "If you really want Japan to be free then help Euphie free it and then put up the mask before things get bad and people get hurt. What were you even thinking? Do you know how much it would devastate Nunnally if you were killed? I called her about the shooting and I heard her crying in fear and worry, she's probably sick with it by now. If she lost you Lelouch she would perhaps lose all reason for living and I don't want that to ever happen to her. Even Euphie was devastated when I told her about it. You told me you were my enemy and I was devastated when I saw you lying there bleeding. I thought you were going to die right there in my arms Lelouch. Do you have any idea what it would do for me if I had to watch you die or had to be the one responsible for your death? Or what about Shirley, Milly, Rivalz, and Nina, how do you think they would have felt? Or what about Kallen? True she looks extremely pissed off with you and probably rightly so but if she does have feelings for you and if your feelings for her a genuine, what would your death have done to her?"  
Lelouch heard all of Suzaku's questions and knew the answers to all of them. He had felt the sorrow radiating from his masked form on the day of Zero Requiem. He had personally seen Nunnally's tearful eyes and Kallen's horrified face. He had felt his death and had felt the effect his death had on those he loved.  
"Please Lelouch, for their sake if not for your own put up the mask when all is said and done and Japan is free," said Suzaku. "We'll forget it even existed and we'll never talk about it again."  
"That's the thing Suzaku," said Lelouch. "I can't simply put the mask down. Japan is not enough; the world must be set free from the evils that control it. The world needs saving Suzaku, surely you can agree on that."  
"And you think you're the one to save it? What good will that world free of evil be if you use evil to free it? You talk of justice but what good will that word be if injustice is used?" asked Suzaku.  
"What good will serving the system do when that system forces you to take the lives of the innocents it was created to protect Suzaku?" asked Lelouch. "What good will the law be when the law is used to ensure the freedom of the corrupt and the greedy?"  
Suzaku angrily glared at Lelouch who returned with a glare of his own. Lelouch knew of course that Suzaku would alter abandon his naïve ideas but only after he became responsible for the deaths of millions of people by use of the FLEJA.  
_'Where there is death there will always be death,'_ Lelouch thought, remembering C.C's warning.  
"Oh my god," yelled a voice in the hallway.  
Suzaku and Lelouch's broke their silent argument to attend to the shout. Suzaku went outside to investigate and peered through the rooms of other patients to find their eyes glued to their respective televisions.  
"What is it?" asked Lelouch.  
Suzaku rushed back into the room and turned on the television.  
_"Not long ago the arrival of Special Agent Paul…paws…Pawclypsian Nowwe? Pawclypsian Nowwe brought urgent orders from Emperor Charles Zi Britannia regarding the arrest and apprehension of Euphemia Li Britannia who has been discovered to be a traitor to the crown and in consort with the masked terrorist known as Zero and has been officially stripped of rank, title, and power and ordered for immediate execution upon her arrest,"_ said the reporter.  
Suzaku and Lelouch both felt their heart's stop in mid-beat. Suzaku could not believe what he was hearing. Euphie, the woman he had fallen in love with, had been declared a traitor and by all the training and discipline he had undergone in his military career it was now his duty to see that she was captured and executed.  
"No, this can't be true," said Suzaku trying to rationalize it all. "Euphie…she's…she's an innocent."  
Lelouch could hardly believe the news either. He knew there would be some reaction from the empire upon the success of the SAZ but nothing like this.  
"Cornelia would never allow those orders to even be spoken once in her presence let alone aired on television," said Lelouch.  
_"In related news Viceroy Cornelia Li Britannia, sister to Euphemia, has been arrested for obstruction of justice and will be charged with treason along with Euphemia and is said will share in her sentence along with former knight Gilbert G.P Guilford and former General Andreas Dalton leaving command of Area 11 under the control of Special Agent Nowwe," _the reporter continued.  
"Who the hell is this guy?" growled Lelouch.  
"I…I have no idea," said Suzaku. "I've never heard of anyone in the military with a name like that."  
"It doesn't matter we have to move quickly," said Lelouch. "Euphie is on her way right?"  
Suzaku, still stunned by the news, nodded and gasped when he saw Lelouch moving out of bed.  
"What the hell are you doing?" yelled Suzaku.  
"We have to get to Euphie before anyone else," said Lelouch. "I need to make contact with the Black Knights if we're going to have any hope of saving her."  
"No, you're in no condition to travel and there is no way I'm entrusting Euphie's care to…"  
"To her own brother?" asked Lelouch. "Suzaku you heard them, they'll kill her if they catch her, and I know you love her more than you love the system."  
"But…"  
"It's either your system or your princess pick one," Lelouch yelled.  
Suzaku was taken aback by Lelouch's sudden outburst but quickly realized he had little choice. If the news was accurate then Euphie was now in danger from her own government and as her knight it was his duty to protect her from any harm.  
"I'll call her and tell her to head to the SAZ," said Suzaku. "We can meet up with her there once you're clear to go."  
"I don't think they'll be any time for that," said Lelouch.  
Suzaku followed Lelouch's gaze toward the television where a man with sharp features and strong black hair stood as still as a statue before a podium with his piercing black eyes staring right into the camera.  
_"My name is Pawclypsian Nowwe, intermediate viceroy of Area 11, and agent of the crown. It gives me no joy to bring the news of this terrible discovery. To let it be known that one of our most beloved princesses has betrayed us and sided with our enemies. Some of you may find this difficult to believe but the evidence is damning. So damning that there is no alternative but to execute this violent and dangerous criminal before she harms any of our citizens. Until this villainess is caught and perhaps for a time after that martial law is being declared for Area 11 and I urge all citizens to comply so that we may survive the coming dark hours. Fear not, for panic will surly divide us as this false prophetess of peace would wish, and stand true to all the virtues that make Britannia strong and righteous for we will persevere. I say this to Euphemia Li Britannia, who has dishonored her former rank, turn yourself in and face your punishment or the people will be forced to suffer through the necessary evils that must be raised to bring you to justice and if you should hide within the Special Administrative Zone of Japan, or should any Japanese aid her or hide her in any way, shape, or form, you will leave me no choice but to destroy you, your families, your friends, and if you should force me to do so, your entire race. This warning also goes out to Zero and the Black Knights, known allies of Euphemia. Interfere with justice and there will be a massacre to pay for. This is the will of Charles himself. The will of Britannia and should be the righteous will of every god fearing pure Britannian man, woman, and child. All hail Britannia and death to Euphemia."_  
The message broke and Suzaku and Lelouch were speechless. Neither could find the words to describe the shock and awe they both felt.  
_'Who the hell is this lunatic? He's going to ruin everything,'_ Lelouch thought.  
So shocked and frozen were the two they could hardly register the sounds of quickly running feet. Kallen burst forth from the hallway and her sudden appearance brought both Lelouch and Suzaku back to reality. Her shocked and frightened face showed she had seen the new as well. She may not have had any love for Euphemia but she did have an intuition that let her know a clear threat when she saw one.  
"We need to hurry," said Lelouch. "You two have to get me out of here."  
"You just got out of surgery," said Kallen. "Trying to move you would be suicidal."  
"Kallen we don't have time," said Lelouch. "Euphemia is the closest chance you'll ever get to earning your freedom without maximum bloodshed. If she dies all hope for the SAZ dies with her. I know you must have more than mixed feelings about me right now but I'm begging you to please listen to me this time."  
Kallen shot Lelouch a pair of sapphire daggers her heartbreak and disillusionment obvious to him. He remembered all the time he had seen that look in her eyes and what he had done to earn her love. He performed miracles and he needed to perform a miracle now.  
"What do you need Lelouch?" Kallen asked.  
"I need your cell phone," said Lelouch.

Suzaku and Lelouch's disappearance from the party had been a blow enough to the members of the student council. But the news about Euphemia and the declaration of martial law in Area 11 was an even greater shock. Nina nearly passed out when it was ordered that Euphemia was to be executed.  
"This is crazy," said Rivalz. "The Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy both arrested and replaced by this guy. Is that even possible?"  
"I don't know but I don't like it," said Milly. "The use of martial law is never a good thing."  
"You don't think Suzaku is involved with this do you?" asked Shirley.  
"I'd hope not," said Rivalz. "Though this would explain why he had to leave. I just wonder where Lelouch is."

"I just got a call from Zero, he wants us to do whatever it takes to protect Princess Euphemia," said Ohgi.  
The Black Knights had quickly organized in their private headquarters, wasting no time to discuss a response to the orders of Pawclypsian Nowwe.  
"I can't believe we're going to risk our necks for an enemy princess," said Tamaki.  
"She's the one who came up with the Special Administrative Zone and has allowed us this great chance to break off our chains," said Tohdoh. "Honor demands we come to her aid. Especially now that her own empire has declared her their enemy."  
"So really we're coming to the aid of an ally," said Chiba. "What about this man? This Pawclypsian Nowwe?"  
"When he came on I did some digging and I'm afraid I've come up with nothing," said Diethard. "It's as if he just appeared but then again he is said to come from the espionage forces so that wouldn't be a surprise."  
"But what about his threat?" asked Tamaki. "If we do anything to help Euphemia he'll destroy the SAZ and everyone in it."  
"I have a feeling he'd do that anyway," said Ohgi. "But no matter what we have a job to do and we need to get to work. Zero wants us to offer a protective escort to Euphemia and her knight."  
"Kururugi's coming?" asked Tohdoh.  
"Zero said he's going to be the princess's guard," said Ohgi. "He also said that he'd have an idea on where to hide her until we can come up with another plan."

Nowwe stood before Cornelia's legions wearing a suit of armor that made him appear like a knight of from the past but with the blessings of the future. It adorned the crest of Britannia in sterling silver against its ebony black frame. The men looked up to him with unease, not only because of the sudden and unexpected exchange of power, but also because there was something about this man who appeared from the blue sky with news of traitors and threats of destruction. The way he presented himself before the men, the quiet power of his stillness, was completely different from what they were familiar with while dealing with Princess Cornelia.  
"I understand this change is very sudden and this news is disheartening," said Nowwe. "But I promise you that your futures are secure. As well as the futures of your loved ones, your family, your children, and your friends. Your future is secure, but only because you wish it to be. Euphemia, Cornelia, Zero, and the Black Knights threaten to make that future uncertain. If you promise to serve me, serve Britannia, and the secure future will be yours. I will lead you to that future."  
As Nowwe spoke the air seemed to become strange and the soldiers were finding it difficult to breathe.  
"Follow me," said Nowwe. "Nowwe is the future and the future is Nowwe."

Euphie couldn't believe herself when the news came over the radio in her limousine. She had been called a traitor and had been ordered to be arrested and executed. To make matters worse her sister had been arrested as well.  
_'This can't be happening,'_ she thought.  
Her phone rang and she grabbed it as quickly as she could.  
"Suzaku?" she asked hoping it was him.  
_"I'm afraid not,"_ said the voice of Lelouch.  
"Lelouch? You're alright," gasped Euphie in a silent voice.  
_"Where are you?" _he asked.  
"I'm twenty minutes from the hospital," said Euphie. "My guards stopped the car and there not letting me get out. They're waiting for headquarters to call to know if any of the news is true."  
_"It might help if you treat it as true,"_ said Lelouch. _"Suzaku is on his way and I've ordered the Black Knights to come and help protect you. Just remain calm and try and stay where you are I'm going to have them put up a show and have Suzaku take you somewhere safe."_  
"Where?" asked Euphie.  
_"Just trust us, neither Suzaku or I would…neither of us would do anything to hurt you,"_ said Lelouch.

Lelouch hung up and gave Kallen's phone back to her as Suzaku left to find Euphie. The entire hospital seemed to awaken with energy upon hearing the news. Nowwe's threats were being taken seriously and even the Britannians felt the sting of his cold words. There was something wrong about this stranger and Lelouch felt sick thinking about him and not just because of the bullet wound.  
"How do you know Euphemia?" asked Kallen.  
"Would you beat me up if I answered you?" asked Lelouch.  
"Don't answer my question with another question," yelled Kallen.  
"But it's adorable to see you cranky," said Lelouch with a smirk.  
"Just answer me you son of a bitch," yelled Kallen. "What other lies have you been hiding?"  
"The kind I hid only to protect those I love," said Lelouch. "If I had told you my identity beforehand you and the others would never have followed me. Besides I would have thought that you would have been happy to know that your earlier suspicions about me were correct."  
Kallen didn't respond and merely scowled at Lelouch.  
"Do you at least want to know why I did what I did?" asked Lelouch.  
"Why would I bother listening to anymore of your lies?" asked Kallen.  
Kallen looked away in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't merely angry, she was disappointed and disillusioned and she was confused. She had once suspected Lelouch of being Zero and now that her theory was proven right it was just too much for her. She didn't even know why she was so fully upset. It could have been because she had trouble reconciling the notion that the arrogant and apathetic Lelouch she had come to know on the Student Council was the selfless and heroic Zero she had come to fall in love with.  
She felt hot tears begin to flow from her eyes and then felt them be wiped away by a soft and gentle touch. She looked at Lelouch and was surprised to see the expression on his face. He looked saddened by her turmoil and held an expression of gentle love and care that she had seen him give only to one other person, his sister Nunnally.  
"Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Kallen tearfully. "How could you say that you love me when you don't know anything about me?"  
"I know everything that matters," said Lelouch. "You're kind, gentle, and loving with boundless courage and determination."  
Kallen couldn't understand why he was saying such things to her with such a soft sound of honesty. Nor could she understand why she felt like she could even believe him.  
"You might not understand but…there was a time when I was completely destroyed and you came and reminded me what of what I had started and the responsibility I had to uphold to the Japanese," said Lelouch.  
Lelouch was correct in telling Kallen that she wouldn't understand what he meant. She could not recall a time when she had ever spoken to him about such things as responsibility.  
"I know that you have every reason to doubt me but I am being as honest as humanly possible for a miserable black hearted fiend like myself," said Lelouch. "You made me realize feelings I had never experienced before and…and there came a time when I nearly broke in fear for your life. You would never believe me if I told you all of this as I might be forced to one day and I doubt that you truly believe me now but I know what I feel for you is true and I love you Kallen."  
Kallen felt Lelouch's hand take hers and felt as he gave it a gentle squeeze. She motioned her fingers to his wrist and felt his pulse. It was constant and steady whereas a lie would have caused his heart rate to accelerate. Kallen wanted to believe that Lelouch was telling the truth but she could tell he was a master of the art of deception. Who was to say he could not fool his own body into believing whatever lie he wanted it to believe?  
"I was hasty the other night and I understand if you do not trust me," said Lelouch. "But for me, I've been given a chance unlike any other. I have done things so terrible you would not believe and I want more than anything to make them right again. I've hurt my friends and my family. I have disrespected my soldiers and failed to honor the duty of my many offices."  
"Lelouch I have no idea what you're talking about," said Kallen. "I don't understand any of this. I don't understand you or why you would do what you did? I don't know how you can say you have these feelings for me when…when I can't even tell what my own feelings are. I had fallen in love with Zero but…but I can't possibly…"  
"Love a Britannian?" asked Lelouch.  
Kallen looked at Lelouch's face and could tell that there was a gentle pain in his face. She thought about what he had said. She had many times said that she hated Britannians and yet in the days that had passed she found herself considering the Student Council her friends and genuinely wanted them to have good lives as much as she wanted her people to have good lives.  
"Lelouch…"  
Before Kallen could finish she heard the sounds of gunfire outside the hospital.

Euphie had been arrested by her own guards and she could not understand why any of it was happening. She knew that her actions with the SAZ would make ripples in the empire but nothing that would consolidate as treason. From the sound of Pawclypsian Nowwe's statement it appeared as if she wouldn't even get a chance to defend herself in a trial and her fate was being shared by her sister. But what was worse for Euphie was that she was going to be parted from Suzaku. She had hoped that the development of the SAZ would help break the barriers between their races and they could share their love with each other in the open and perhaps one day marry and bring children into the world. She had no doubt in her mind or in her heart that Suzaku would make an excellent husband and father and she would be his loyal wife and a doting mother to any children they had. But this current change of events had put their entire future, and as Euphie feared the entire future of Area 11, at risk.  
The limo began to serve after the sound of breaking glass rang out. A bullet fired through to the back and the soldier who held Euphie at gun point was killed. Some blood splattered on Euphie's face and the princess screamed as the limo came to a sudden crash. The shock of being in the crash and being shot at had barely registered for Euphie when her door suddenly flew open and she was dragged out quickly but gently. Before she was able to panic Euphie got a good look at her kidnapper.  
"Suzaku," gasped Euphie.  
"Are you alright?" asked Suzaku.  
Euphie nodded and Suzaku quickly smiled and took a quick look at Euphie. She was in a fine condition aside from being handcuffed and having her beautiful face speckled with blood.  
"Is Lelouch alright?" Euphie asked.  
"He's in the hospital with one of the Black Knights," said Suzaku.  
Euphie gasped slight and gave Suzaku all the proof necessary to believe that Lelouch was telling the truth about Euphie knowing about his dual identity.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Suzaku.  
"Suzaku…"  
Euphie was interrupted by a bullet that barely missed the two of them. Suzaku threw himself over his princess and looked up to see several armed Knightmare Frames coming towards the two of them. Wasting no time Suzaku grabbed Euphie by her bound arms and began running, avoiding the hail of bullets with almost superhuman speed. However he had no delusions of being able to take on a whole battalion of soldiers and Knightmares alone. He had already overly exerted himself in trying to chase down Euphie's car and rescue her. What he needed right now was a miracle and hopefully Lelouch would live up to his title as the man of miracles. Preferably soon given how difficult Euphie was finding it to run in her shoes which eventually caused her to trip. Suzaku knelt down to pick up the fallen princess but in doing so gave the enemy an opportune chance to aim their weapons.  
Bullets raced towards the knight and the princess but just before their flesh could be torn away a large black shadow stood in the way of the deadly hail.  
The _Zangetsu_, piloted by Suzaku's former teacher, led the charge against the three enemy mechas as a series of black armored vehicles began to surround Suzaku and Euphie.  
"The Black Knights," said Euphie.  
Suzaku picked her up as one of the vehicles opened up and a Japanese man wearing an overcoat and sporting a headband opened his door and motioned for them to come in.  
"Are you to alright?" asked Ohgi as the two entered.  
"We're fine but what about Nowwe's threat?" asked Euphie. "If you help me your people will be punished for it."  
Ohgi heard genuine concern in her voice and saw sincerity in her eyes. He also saw fear and worry and even though he was of a different race he was compelled to try and comfort her.  
"That just means you haven't put us out of a job yet your majesty," Ohgi joked earning a small smile from the princess finding the great irony in the situation.  
"Where are we going now?" Euphie asked.  
"We're going to try and lose the soldiers and then Zero said that Suzaku would know of a good place to hide you and that we should take you there," said Ohgi.  
Euphie looked at Suzaku for answers to her plight and Suzaku imagined he had an idea. Probably not a good one given that Lelouch had been shot there but right now it was better than nothing and he had no doubt that Lelouch also wanted to secure Nunnally's safety as well as Euphie's and no matter what Suzaku personally felt towards Lelouch for his actions as Zero he agreed with him.

"You didn't answer my question," said Kallen.  
"Which one?" asked Lelouch.  
"How do you know princess Euphemia?" asked Kallen. "She's one of our greatest enemies after all."  
"She's my half-sister," said Lelouch.  
Kallen practically screamed but held herself back. The hospital was going crazy due to the nearby battle but any sudden outburst might have still earned her unwelcome attention.  
"So everything you said was a lie. It was never about justice. It was about power and wealth. You're nothing but a spoiled prince and Nunnally…"  
"Nunnally and I are dead to our father," said Lelouch. "Cast aside when our mother died and I have fully rejected my claim to the throne. She was murdered by…by another member of the royal family and Nunnally was crippled by him. I do believe in justice Kallen but there are many kinds of justice. Wouldn't you agree that a Britannian girl made crippled and orphaned deserves just as much justice as a Japanese girl who suffered the same thing?"  
"Britannians should get what they deserve and I hope you die of your wounds you filthy manipulator," sneered Kallen.  
Lelouch chuckled happily.  
"What the hell's so funny?" yelled Kallen.  
"You are so cute when you're angry," said Lelouch. "Don't get me wrong I agree with your statement all the same. I am a filthy manipulator and a black hearted demon and a number of other things. But I know one thing you're not."  
"And that is?" asked Kallen angrily.  
"I know you're not as cold as that," said Lelouch. "You don't believe anyone should suffer injustice, no matter what race they are, and that you consider Britannians your friends."  
"I hate Britannians," snapped Kallen.  
"Then why don't you just murder every Britannian you meet?" asked Lelouch. "Why not take your knife and slit the throat of every Britannian baby in the maternity ward? In fact don't answer that because I know why you won't. You're not a murderer Kallen and you're not a racist. You don't hate Britannians, you just hate how the Britannian  
government works, and there are a lot of Britannians who would agree with you."  
"Why would a prince hate his government?" asked Kallen.  
"As I said before, my mother was murdered, my sister was crippled, and I was cast aside like a sheep to the wolves," said Lelouch. "Britannia betrayed me Kallen and when I was there with my sister in our darkest hour…Japan saved us."  
Kallen kept her scowl but she raised her brow in confusion.  
"She sheltered me, nurtured me, and became more of a mother country than Britannia," said Lelouch. "Japan adopted me and I want to see her free. But Britannia is still my birth country and I want it free as well."  
"Free from what? Britannia is the one that enslaves the entire world," said Kallen.  
"The first nation a tyrant conquers is his own," said Lelouch. "There's a darkness that has corrupted Britannia and I want that darkness lifted. There are good people who live in Britannia, live under Britannian roofs, and have Britannian blood but that doesn't mean they're really free. They've grown content and their contentment has enslaved them. They don't see the evil around them and don't believe it will harm them. That's how a nation enslaves itself Kallen. It makes it's people think that it has given them everything and that they don't have to give or sacrifice anything in return and lets them be lulled to sleep and be killed in the night."  
Kallen didn't know how to respond to Lelouch's speech. She thought about what he said and thought it would be more lies but she couldn't help but give it serious thought.  
"Why should I believe anything you say?" asked Kallen. "Everything you've seduced me and my friends into doing could just be some part of some sick game. You even confessed to being a demon and a psychopath."  
"I have," said Lelouch. "And you shouldn't."  
"Then when you said you loved me was that just another game Lelouch?" asked Kallen, tears beginning to form in her eyes.  
Lelouch reached out to wipe the tears from her eyes but Kallen inched away. They sat out there with the prince's hand out stretched and the ace's tears beginning to flow as the sounds of explosions and gunfire grew as loud as thunder.  
"No," said Lelouch. "I'd never play with your heart. Not again."  
Lelouch reached out farther and despite Kallen's best attempts his fingers graded across her cheek and his thumb wiped away her tear.

Nowwe stood on the edge of the arrogantly built Babel Tower watching as the Black Knights distracted the Britannian soldiers. The legendary _Zangetsu_ piloted by Kyoshiro Tohdoh was masterfully destroying the Knightmare squad that he had sent after Euphemia just as he knew Zero would command them to. He knew this wasn't going to be a full on fight. It was merely a distraction to try and hide the princess from him.  
He activated the communicator in his helmet and connected to one of the many lieutenants under his command.  
"Direct a series of squads to Ashford Academy on my mark," said Nowwe. "Keep the school under total lockdown and arrest the Student Council under suspicion of aiding the terrorist Zero and another suspect under the name Nunnally Lamperouge and her maid Sayoko Shinozaki. Shinozaki is to be considered armed and dangerous restrain her for questioning."  
_"Yes sir, any other orders sir?" _asked the lieutenant.  
"Begin the interrogation of Cornelia, keep project Orange on standby, and disassemble the _Lancelot_," said Nowwe. "If Earl Asphult and Miss Croomy object arrest them and then be sure to alert the media to the Emperor's upcoming announcement while keeping all information of the Ashford Conflict censored."  
_"Yes sir,"_ said the lieutenant.  
The call ended and Nowwe took a step off the edge of the tower. Normally a fall such as that would have killed a lesser man but Nowwe defied the law of gravity and stood equal to the tower of greed that attempted to reach heaven.  
He turned in midair and saw through the visor of his helm the campus of Ashford Academy and found it discomforting. It seemed so primitive to him and so out of date. It was as if it belonged in some ruined city with the other fossils of a lost civilization that gave way to progress. He then turned his attention back to the battle with the Black Knights. He also noted the nearby hospital and the patient they were treating.  
_'The first Zero is almost as painfully predictable as the third,'_ thought Nowwe.

In the Britannian homeland Charles Zi Britannia became active and readied himself for his important speech that was not his own creation and would not be ordered by his own will. There was no will in him anymore. There was no Charles save only in body. There was only the future.  
"Nowwe is the future and the future is Nowwe," he whispered as his eyes held the red circle of the Geass and little things swam throughout his body that was no longer his.

**Author's Note: So now Nowwe is in control and he's taking over the past. To make matters worse he knows exactly what Lelouch is planning and is going to be sure that history gets the massacre it demanded (spoiler for the next chapter) and the Student Council is in trouble.  
I'm daring anyone who reads this to guess how Charles is still functioning and how Nowwe is controlling him and if you can't I'll get to that in the next chapter when the Black Knights confront Nowwe and get a taste of his tremendous power.  
Also I'm sorry for rushing Kallen and Lelouch's romance, that was a mistake on my part but if you don't make mistakes you're not human and thus must be severely investigated by government officials to discover your true purpose on earth.  
Next turn: Here and Nowwe.**


End file.
